Hey there, hi there, ho there!

Man, mint rules. Fresh mint sprigs on vanilla iced cream? Amazing. Trader Joe’s dark-chocolate covered mints? To die for. But mint is not just for eating! Especially during this time of the year, when all is stress and sickness and holiday hub-bub, it’s important to remember to take time out just for you to relax and reflect. Feel good inside and out, even if it’s just for an hour or two!

So today, for Spa-Day Wednesday, I propose three rejuvenating (and inexpensive) ways you can use mint to your own advantage!

1. At-home steam facial

You, too, can relax spa-style with just a pot, a stove, a towel, some water, and a couple ‘a’ mint tea bags!

1. Fill 2/3 of a large pot with water. I recommend a large pot like a stock-pot, something that has a diameter wider than your face. Filtered water is probably best (less impurities released in the steam), but that’s a lot of water…so I use tap!

2. Bring the water to a boil.

3. Add tea bags (might I suggest Mint Medley by Bigelow teas), reduce heat to medium. Let steep for 2-5 minutes.

4. Drape the towel over your head and shoulders (like a tent – this helps keep the steam around you) and lower your face towards the pot. IMPORTANT SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT: be sure to keep your FACE at least 1.5 feet (18 inches) ABOVE the pot! Otherwise you run the risk of getting STEAM BURNS ON YOUR FACE. Also, make sure the ends of the TOWEL are kept back and AWAY from your source of HEAT. Please don’t set yourself or your house on fire. K THNX!

5. Inhale deeply through your nose, exhale through slightly pursed lips. Kneel on a chair or stool if that’s most comfortable for you. Spend 3-7 minutes in the steam, however long it takes you to relax without feeling uncomfortable. Remember, if the steam gets too hot for you, you can always raise your face up a few inches or step away from the pot completely; this should be relaxing, not uncomfortable!

I especially like to use this technique when my nose is all stuffy!

2. Mint-Julep facial masque

My mom introduced me to Queen Helene’s mint-julep facial mask (Walgreen’s, $3.79) in high school to ward off acne outbreaks. In my last year of college, my roommate reminded me about its existence and I have been loving it ever since! 20 min. is the minimum time needed for this stuff to work its magic, but I like to leave it on overnight to really let it soak in. This stuff is great for refining pores, healing blemishes, and restoring a healthy glow. And it’s so cheap!! Slather some on and gently remove with a warm washcloth (in the shower is usually the best bet). Be sure to wipe those out-of-the-way places (like the creases on either side of the nose) as this stuff can hide out and embarrass you later when you hit the sunlight (assuming there is any. Damn winter)!

 

 

3. Melon/Sugar/Mint body scrub

Available at Target ($8.99), this body scrub made by Boots cosmetics boasts organic peppermint oil, melon extract, and sugar granules to help maintain skin’s radiance by helping to remove dead skin cells, revealing the softer/smoother skin beneath. I suggest (from experience) that you use this stuff in the shower as opposed to the bathtub or a footbasin: cleaning it off of the sides for half an hour is certainly less than relaxing!

Scrubs can be nice in the wintertime (especially for elbows, knees, and feet) when artificial heat and sudden changes from warm to cold temperatures while going from building to car to building really take a toll. Sugar is one of nature’s most effective emollients, right up there with salt and sand. (I wanna go to the beach!!) There are actually many “recipes” online for scrubs you can make at home with sugar or salt (here’s one from Health magazine, one of my faves) in case you can’t make it to a local drugstore (or don’t want to brave the holiday shoppers).

 

And there you have it! Three ways to spruce up your Hump Day with one of my most beloved herbs! Now go make yourself a mug of that mint tea, add a drop of honey, and put your feet up! Only two more days ’til the weekend!

Oh ma gosh! How I’ve neglected you, little blog. It’s been a crazy fall/winter, to say the least. The short version is that I took classes in August, started teaching two weeks later, taught for about two months and then started passing out randomly. Since then it’s been a steady stream of boring days at home (not supposed to drive or go out by myself) and doctors’ offices. Still trying to figure out what’s at the root of it, and in the meantime I have been way too indulgent with the snacks and goodies and not very regular with mealtimes or (needless to say) exercise.

The exercise I can’t do too much about right now: I’m not supposed to over-exert myself and can’t currently afford a Wii Fit (had to resign from my job). The food, however, I can start paying more attention to. I have skipped a lot of meals (sitting around all day, my metabolism hasn’t been burning through things the way it normally does, so I haven’t been getting the hungry feeling as often) which is bad on a lot of levels. For one, it throws off the regularity of mealtimes so I wind up eating big meals at 10 or 11 p.m. a lot of the time, and then get in bed soon after. It also sends the signal to my body that I’m starving, so when I do eat I tend to go for things that are high in sugar or fat content in my body’s attempt to store lots of energy whenever possible. I have not been eating my fair share of leafy greens and other veggies (although clementines have been prevalent); french fries do not count!

So here’s my veggie challenge: everyday at 1 p.m. I am going to eat a meal that is mostly (80% or more) veggies. What I need now are some recipes…luckily my fiancee is a vegetarian, so he already knows of some soups and stuff that will be good for this. (I believe we actually have some delicious, homemade veggie soup frozen right now!)

Today’s treat: a simple garden salad, chock full o’ deliciousness!

I started with an ample portion of spring mix, peeled and sliced half a cucumber, sliced 3 radishes, and added 8 grape tomatoes, 1 hard-boiled egg (only 1/2 a yolk used) and 1 slice of bacon crumbled.

For dressing, I used the following recipe from allrecipes.com. The actual website also has a serving converter, so instead of making a serving just for yourself, you can adapt it to suit as many fellow diners as you need!

• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 clove crushed garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon ground mustard (I substituted ground Cayenne pepper because I didn’t have the mustard)
• 1/8 pinch salt
• ground black pepper to taste

“In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, and mustard powder. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in minced fresh herbs if desired.”
 The dressing was okay, I should have maybe added more black and red pepper; it wasn’t as spicy as I would have liked. But it was a pretty darn good salad! And definitely a decent meal, although in retrospect it would have been a good move to have a piece of crusty bread to go along with it. Mmm, bread! Sorry I didn’t take any pictures, I devoured it too fast!  :Op  Also, I’m afraid I may have left my camera (a.k.a. hunk of junk)’s charger in my old classroom, so pictures my be MacBook camera-quality for a while.

So, got any good recipes to share for the Veggie Challenge? I really don’t want this to get boring, so please share!! Want to take the Veggie Challenge, too? Let me know – leave a comment! We could trade tips and stave off French fry cravings together!

Happy Fitness Friday…